Constance Gardiner
Constance Gardiner (née Ava Moon) is a young woman who is responsible for framing William Murdoch for the murder of Randolph Littlefair, in Season 4 of Murdoch Mysteries, portrayed by Tamara Gorski. Character Backstory Ava Moon was an actress who rented a room at an inn alongside Constable William Murdoch's beat. One night, she had heard screams coming from the innkeeper's room and saw a man leaving, whom she recognized by his coat and walk as a man by the name of Michael Cudmore. She notified Murdoch of what she had seen, and Murdoch promptly arrested Cudmore for rape. During the trial, Ava was unwilling to testify out of fear, but relented when Murdoch told her that it was her duty to do so. The Inspector of Station House #1 at the time beat a confession out of Cudmore and presented it at trial, but in a bout of zealousness, Murdoch alerted the jury that the confession was not a voluntary one but one extorted through violence. Cudmore's confession was promptly thrown out, leaving him a free man. Cudmore then set his sights on Ava Moon, planning to take revenge on her for having him arrested and for testifying against him. Breaking into her room one night, he repeatedly raped her while using her knife to scar her facially and intimately, the latter of which rendered her unable to have children. Ava reported the rape to the police but was told that her story would not hold up and that Cudmore would not be prosecuted. As Cudmore left Ontario shortly after that, Ava Moon was forced to live the rest of her life filled with rage towards the man who robbed her of the two things she wanted most in life - marriage and children. At some point, Ava changed her name to Constance Gardiner and became friends with the influential Reda family. Twelve years later, to her surprise, she notices Cudmore's photograph in a newspaper and discoveres that he had returned to Ontario under the name of "Randolph Littlefair" and is now a wealthy and influential man. Curious, Constance investigates the matter further and discovers, to her horror, that verious other women were raped and disfigured in areas that Randolph Littlefair happened be, and realises that Cudmore has not changed in his ways in the last dozen years. Upon learning that Jack Reda is planning to solicit funds from Littlefair, Constance convinces them to throw a party in his honour. Knowing that she would be exposed if Littlefair saw her, she suggests that the party be themed after "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", as a tribute to writer Lewis Carroll who had passed away recently. This allows her, along with other guests, to wear disguises, which would help Constance remain unnoticeable by Littlefair. On the day of the party, Constance discovered that the party has a surprise guest - William Murdoch, who is now the detective of Station House No. 4. Appearances and Mentions Murdoch in Wonderland * Left with scars both emotional and physical, Constance is determined to punish Randolph Littlefair for raping and disfiguring her. *'Constance' frames Murdoch for his failure to prosecute Randolph, although her plan was to exonerate him over time. *Crabtree, who recognized the name "Ava Moon" from the poem she wrote at a party (about a girl named Noomava (Ava Moon backwards) who had been assaulted by an ogre whom she later killed) presented the evidence to Inspector Brackenreid. *Once Murdoch figures out she was the murderer, he finds her at home, where she admits to everything. Constance surrenders peacefully, but Murdoch chooses to help her escape justice by freeing her from prison and providing her with money to escape. *In the end, Constance Gardiner is arrested for premeditated murder, although she informs Inspectors Brackenreid and Giles that she did not want Murdoch to hang for his crimes and that she had planned to write a letter of confession for them to find. *As the rest of the police officers leave the station to attend Julia's wedding to Darcy, Murdoch sacrifices preventing the women he loves from marrying another man by releasing Constance Gardiner '''from her prison cell and giving her money to escape to Windsor. *Murdoch will pay for this choice in episodes to come... ''Murdoch of the Klondike'' (Mentioned) ''Crime and Punishment ''(Mentioned) ''What Lies Buried ''(Mentioned) ''Brother's Keeper '(Allusion by Murdoch to Watts) Category:Criminals Category:Season Four